BULL, John Edward Newell
| Other Name: | Cadman, George - WWII Service Record - Alias |
|---|---|
| Service Numbers: | 151, 7221 |
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Newstead, Victoria, Australia, 29 November 1873 |
| Home Town: | Leichhardt, Leichhardt, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Compositor |
| Died: | Belmore, New South Wales, Australia, 5 August 1967, aged 93 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland, New South Wales Crematorium Area CC, Rose Garden 13, #223 |
| Memorials: |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Private, 151, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 1899: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 151, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 448 notes 1st QMI embarked 1 Nov 1899 aboard Cornwall arriving Cape Town 13 Dec 1899. | |
| 25 Aug 1900: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Private, 151, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry, National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier notes invalided due to Enteric Fever returned to Australia aboard Aberdeen arriving in Brisbane 18 Aug 1900, discharged 25 Aug 1900. |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Feb 1917: | Involvement Private, 7221, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: RMS Osterley embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 1917: | Embarked Private, 7221, 2nd Infantry Battalion, RMS Osterley, Sydney |
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John Edward Newell Bull (George Cadman)
Birth 29 NOV 1873 • Newstead, Victoria, Australia
Death 5 AUG 1967 • Belmore, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Biography contributed by Claude McKelvey
Note- born John Edward Newell Bull he would go on to adopt the name George Cadman around 1905-06 due to the life events outlined below.
He served in both the South African (Boer) War and WW1. First service was under the name John Edward Newell Bull as a Private S.N. 151, 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry, Boer War. Second service was under the name George Cadman as a Private S.N. 7221 2nd Infantry Battalion/34th Infantry Battalion AIF, WW1.
John Edward Newell Bull led an interesting if complicated life. He was born at Newstead, Victoria ,as John Edward Newell Bull on 29 Nov 1873 (registered 1874) to Frederick Ewen Bull and Ida Slee Howson. His parents relocated the family to Queensland around 1881-82 to the Kilkivan/Gympie area where a further 3 of his siblings were born. Events, as described below, led him to adopt the name George Cadman in 1905-06.
He was living and working in Gympie when he first enlisted in 1899 with the 1st QMI. When his details were published with the rank and file in The Brisbane Courier, 18 Nov 1899, he was recorded as 151 Private J. E. N. Bull, single, c/- Mrs. Bull, Kilkivan Junction, Maryborough Line. In the Boer War Service Paybooks for the 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 17, it is noted he directed part of his pay to Mrs. F. E. Bull (his mother), Kilkivan Junction via Gympie. He was invalided from service with enteric fever returning to Brisbane where he was discharged on 25 Aug 1900.
The paybooks and his discharge paper indicate he spent some time in Nundah, Brisbane, and at Laidley before returning to Gympie. On 17 Dec 1901, he married Emily Annie Dunston/Durston at Gympie. He also took up the occupation of storekeeper running a store given to them by his father-in-law, and they would go on to have one child.
In 1913, as reported in Gympie and Brisbane newspapers, Emily filed for a divorce on the basis of desertion and other indiscretions, e.g. as reported in The Telegraph (Brisb), 7 Nov 1913, p. 2, "Divorce Action. Alleged Bigamy. Case From Gympie".It transpired he got into debt running the store in Gympie and in 1905, sold the business, and left Emily and child in Gympie to travel to Brisbane seeking work on the basis he would return at Christmas, but never did.
Facing financial stress Emily sought to find him through contact with his parents now living in NSW and in 1909. His father forwarded a letter he received from his son in 1909 indicating he was living in Liechhardt in Sydney under the name of George Cadman. He signd the letter off as his "wayward" son.
In further investigations Emily discovered that, under the name George Cadman, he had married again on 17 Mar 1909 to Florence Jessie Price, at a time while he was still legally married to Emily. On 14 Nov 1913 the judge found the evidence to be correct and granted a divorce. Emily would go on to remarry in 1914 with their only child taking on the family name of her new husband.
As reported in The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Mar 1909, under the name George Cadman he had married Florence Jessie Price on 17 Mar 1909 at Liechhardt, Sydney, and in the published notice he was noted as the sone of F. E. Cadman, Queensland. As noted in the newspaper reports on his divorce from his first wife, there was an indication he was leaving for New Zealand later in 1909. Indeed, it appears they were in New Zealand between 1910 and at least 1915 where their 5 children were born.
He enlisted again in 1917 for WW1 under the name George Cadman. On his Attestation Paper, dated 22 Jan 1917, it was noted that; he was born at Newstead, Victoria, and was 42 years 2 months of age; he was married and a printer (having served a printer apprenticeship in Gympie); his N.O.K. was his wife Florence Jessie Cadman, Leichhardt, Sydney; and he had previously served in the Qld Mounted Infantry.
(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 451; National Archives Australia- Boer War Dossier; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 1st QMI, Bk 1 p. 17; National Archives Australia- WW1 service record; various newspaper articles- see likns).